Insomnia Cafe
by aussiebabe290
Summary: It was the time of life where the future looks like a question mark. It was about sex, love, relationships, careers and the time of your life when everything's possible, which is both exciting and terrifying. It was about friendship because when you're young and single and in the city, your friends are your family.
1. Chapter 1

Every friendship had a story. There was always a beginning; they always had the place where they'd become friends.

For that particular ensemble, their beginning was Insomnia Café.

A downtown Los Angeles coffee shop, out of the way of most and known for the most part by stressed college students pulling an all-nighter to finish an essay, or cramming before a big exam. And while most young adults would frequent bars, they were different.

Insomnia Café had been the place that that particular group of friends had met, and where they frequented all too often.

They had their booth. They weren't leaving anytime soon. If the walls of the café could talk, they'd have hours' worth of stories about the group.

That was their beginning.

* * *

Twenty three year old Beca Mitchell pulled her headphones off, running her fingers through her knotty hair. She had been sitting in front of her laptop for hours and her eyes were stinging, as she tried and tried to mash the chords together.

(He didn't get it. Those two songs weren't going to work, no matter how badly they wanted them to. Her boss was a douche.)

Glancing at the time, she groaned. "God…"

Los Angeles had been a dream, something that she'd been thinking about since she was eleven years old. It had been a long road getting there, and it had been an even longer road getting jobs.

But she was there, and that was all that mattered.

"I need a coffee", she decided, reaching for her bag.

* * *

"Hey Becs!" Benjamin Applebaum said cheerfully, as he closed the door to his apartment. He smiled brightly at the little brunette who lived across the hall. "Where are you off to?"

"The café". Beca gave him a tired smile. "How's the roommate search going?"

Benji was a great guy. He knew it. But despite that, he wasn't able to keep a roommate for more than a month. In the year and a half he'd lived opposite Beca Mitchell in the apartment building, he had eighteen roommates. And he couldn't understand why.

"I've got some guy coming tomorrow to check the place out", Benji sighed heavily. "Want some company down at the café?"

"Sure". She smiled at him and the two fell into step as they made their way down the apartment building's stairs.

* * *

Donald smiled, as two of his regular customers wandered through the door. He was never surprised when he saw Beca Mitchell and Benji Applebaum- he was more surprised when he didn't see them. They lived off caffeine and more often than not occupied the booth in the back.

"Stacie, the usuals for Benji and Becs", he called from the counter, and the leggy brunette wandered out from the back with two large mugs, a smile wide on her face.

"Hey guys!" she said brightly, pouring their coffee and draping herself down beside Beca.

(Donald didn't know why he employed her- she spent more time hitting on the customers than she did serving, but her tips were higher than he'd ever seen.)

"What's happenin'?" she questioned.

Benji sighed heavily. "I'm out of a roommate again".

"Oh Benj, you know if I wasn't in my own apartment I'd be there in a flash. But I do like the assortment you send my way". She grinned at him, adjusting her top to maximise cleavage.

"Gross", Beca murmured.

"And you, Becs?"

"My boss is a douche".

"So nothing new".

Beca shook her head, fighting a grin. "Nothing new".

"Well, don't tell Donald but there was the cutest guy in here before lunch-"

"I knew it, you smelt like sex!"

She had the decency to blush; Benji had to give it to her.

* * *

"Benjamin Applebaum", Jesse Swanson said, as he climbed the stairs of the building. "Can't be any worse than Bumper Allen, I guess". He knocked on the door, bracing himself for the worst.

And the worst came in a grown man wearing a cape.

"Hi! You must be Jesse!"

"And you must be kidding!" Jesse glanced behind him at the apartment, a shrine to all things Star Wars.

(Yep, this guy was totally better than Bumper Allen.)

"Sorry, I know it's a little much…" Benji's smile drooped (he needed to learn to listen to Beca).

"No, it's great! It took a moment for my eyes to adjust, but it's great! I love Star Wars!" Jesse grinned, and Benji beamed at him.

"Well welcome to the building!"

Jesse laughed. "Thanks man!"

Benji, inviting him in properly, closed the door behind them before their conversation was abruptly interrupted.

"Were you expecting someone else?" Jesse questioned, and Benji shrugged.

"Hey Becs!" he said in surprise, as he opened it to find the red faced brunette. "What's going on?"

"Can I hide in here?" she questioned.

"Sure, what's wrong?"

"Fat Amy's got another sock on her doorknob, it's the fourth time this week", she groaned.

"It's Tuesday".

"I know that!" she frowned, before looking to the other person in the room. "Oh, Benj, I'm sorry, I forgot. I'll go down to the café, it's alright. Let me know when whoever's in my apartment leaves, alright?"

"No, no, its fine!" Jesse said hastily. "I'm Jesse".

"This is Jesse", Benji said with a grin. "My new roommate, I guess. Jesse, this is Beca, my across the hall neighbour".

"Nice to meet you". And Jesse beamed at her, Beca flushing pink.

"Nice to meet you too".

* * *

"Benjamin Applebaum, who is this?" Stacie wanted to know, Benji, Jesse and Beca walked through the door. "What, no Amy?"

"There's a sock on the doorknob", Beca said tiredly. "This is the fourth time this week, she's worse than you!"

"No one's worse than me", Stacie corrected.

"Slut".

"Hey there slut!" Fat Amy called brightly from the doorway, and Stacie grinned. "Hey Becs, who's the piece of man candy you've got your eye on?"

"Ooh, Beca!"

"Stacie, Fat Amy", Beca ploughed on. "This is Jesse. Benji's new roommate and our neighbour, Fat Amy".

"Hi!" Stacie cooed, sidling up beside him. "I'm Stacie".

"Stacie, no", Benji objected.

"Welcome to Insomnia Café, the best coffee in Cali", she said instead. "If you're with these nerds, you'll be here a lot. I kicked someone out of your usual booth, guys, don't worry. I've got your backs".

"Thanks, Stace", Beca almost chuckled.

"Guys, the usual?" Donald called. "You're blocking the doorway, sit down".

"Donald, Jesse, Jesse, Donald", Fat Amy said.

"Why is she called Fat Amy?"

"So skinny bitches don't call her that behind her back", Benji recited (he too had made the mistake of asking that question when he first met the Australian).

"Welcome to Los Angeles", Donald chuckled.

"I have a feeling I'm going to like it here", the New York City native grinned.

That was their beginning.


	2. Chapter 2

"What are you doing?" Jesse questioned curiously, as Benji grabbed his cape and shoes.

"Its Chinese night", he said simply. "Every Thursday we have Chinese at Beca and Fat Amy's. Its tradition. Let's go!"

"What's Beca's deal?" he said instead, grabbing his shoes.

"Beca's deal?" Benji echoed.

"Yeah".

Benji's face broke into a grin. He and Beca had known each other for a while and there was no denying he thought she was hot (he wasn't blind). But Beca was a sister to him- even the thought of dating her was weird on a multitude of levels.

"She's got an incredibly scary earspike", he said finally. "But its Chinese night. So let's go".

Crossing the hall, Benji barely knocked before pushing open the door.

"Hey Benj!" Beca said from the couch, removing the earphones from her ears as Jesse and Benji came in the door.

"Hey Becs, Jesse's joining us for Chinese".

"Hey", she greeted him. "What do you eat?"

Fat Amy started to chuckle. "Hey, remember that time that Benji thought the order didn't go through, so he ordered it again? We got the exact same thing and our delivery people looked so confused! And then Beca Instagrammed that shit".

"I Instagrammed that shit", Beca agreed.

Jesse laughed. "You guys have known each other a long time, right?"

They'd known each other a long time. Beca had been living in LA for nearly eighteen months, and Benji for almost as long. Donald had met Beca and become her first real friend in LA when she came in looking like a zombie on the search of caffeine, and she'd met Stacie when he hired her. Fat Amy had become her roommate when the blonde arrived from Tasmania (and life had never been the same). They were the most unlikely of friends but they worked.

And it seemed that Jesse was fitting into their ensemble just as well.

'Right", Fat Amy said after a moment, nodding.

"We're here!" Donald announced, letting himself in the door with Stacie right behind him. Stacie grinned, all but bouncing over towards the couch, hugging Beca before plopping down beside Jesse.

"The new guy's decided to join us!" she all but purred, and Beca threw a cushion at her. "Hey!" she squawked.

"Stacie, stops scaring him", Fat Amy laughed.

"Yeah, she's doing that enough herself", Benji said quietly.

"What brought you to LA, new boy?" Stacie questioned. "Where are you from, anyway?"

"New York", he said quickly. "I worked in music there and then after my girlfriend and I broke up, I asked for a transfer over here".

"Ooh, cross country move just to escape the girl!" Stacie said brightly. "Must have been bad".

"Yeah, it was… also, my roommate was a douche".

"But now you've got Benj". Stacie grinned and the Star Wars nerd grinned. "You've been here, what, a week? How many times have you watched the movies?"

"They're the best movies!" Benji defended.

"They're some of the best scored movies in history", Jesse defended.

"Oh my God, no!" Beca's eyes widened. "No, no, we don't need another Star Wars nerd around. We've already got Benji".

"Thanks Beca", Benji deadpanned. "You're a fine one to talk, Broadway baby!"

"Broadway baby?" Jesse said incredulously, and Fat Amy started to laugh.

"Don't bring up Broadway or movies".

"Why not movies?" Jesse questioned, and they diverted their eyes in different directions. He stared at Beca and she picked at her black nail polish. "What, you don't like movies or something?"

"I'd rather relive my parents' divorce", she offered. "Or visit a gynaecologist".

"What?" he exploded, and the other four started to laugh. "What do you mean you don't like movies? Not liking movies is like not liking puppies!"

"She likes puppies", Donald said as a peace offering, chuckling a little. "She's pretty bummed the landlord doesn't let them have a dog, actually".

"I want a dog", Beca agreed, eager to change the topic. "Fat Amy wants a dingo puppy".

"I do. I wrestled a dingo and a crocodile simultaneously", Fat Amy agreed immediately.

"I can't believe you don't like movies!" Jesse said, unable to process that information. "I mean, what kind of person doesn't like movies?"

He was cut off by a knock at the door and Fat Amy jumped up. "Food's here!"

While she paid the delivery man, Beca and Stacie passed around plates and forks, opening containers on the coffee table.

While they ate, they talked. Jesse found out how Donald came about to own Insomnia Café ("it was fate", he said dramatically, patting his hair carefully), and how he'd hired Stacie, the most unlikely waitress on the west coast ("not many people know this about me, but I've actually got a college degree", she filled him in. "most people just think I'm a slutty waitress". "You are a slutty waitress"), and how Beca came to LA ("if I finished one year of college my father would pay for me to come here. He didn't support me but he stuck to the deal"), and how Fat Amy came to America ("Tasmania couldn't handle my sexy fat arse").

Benji, he'd learned a week earlier, had never quite left Los Angeles. He was Californian born and raised, but ironically enough, his dream was the Broadway stage in New York (Jesse made a mental note to question what Benji meant when he called Beca 'Broadway baby').

They told him all about the traditions they'd formed- every Thursday was Chinese night at Beca's and Fat Amy's. Thanksgiving was a group effort, once again held at the girls' apartment. Halloween involved themed group costumes that Beca allegedly rebelled against every year but ended up loving (although the way she was shaking her head made him doubt that), but Donald voiced that his favourite time was when one of them had a first date. Or even a date in general (although Fat Amy coughed that they excluded Stacie).

And, without a doubt, the back booth of the café was theirs. No other table or booth would suffice, and Stacie and Donald were sure to keep it free for them.

"What a great night", Stacie said with a content sigh, stretching out on the couch, putting her feet in Donald's lap. He sighed heavily, but didn't bother shoving her aside (he'd known Stacie a long time, and it wasn't worth it).

"I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship, Jesse Swanson", Fat Amy said brightly, closing the container of sweet and sour pork. "Will you be joining us for Chinese again next week?"

"it's the rules, you can only miss Chinese night for a life and death situation", Benji said (because months earlier when he was stuck in traffic and Stacie had hollered down the phone at him that he couldn't miss it, it'd throw everything out of whack and did he know that they'd already ordered his dinner? That had taken a month of apologies to live down).

"I think I might", he agreed easily. "Even though Beca doesn't like movies".

"Let it go, nerd", she warned.

"I'm pretty sure a part of me shrivelled up and died tonight", he informed her. "Who doesn't like movies?"

"Don't even try and get her to sit through something", Stacie warned. "Oh my God, it's ridiculous. She's like a child".

"I think I'm going to make that my goal in life", he declared, and Benji grinned.

"See guys? I told you he'd fit right in".

That was the moment in time that the group of five became a group of six. They were an ensemble of six, young and single in the city, and when you were young and single in the city; your friends became your family.


	3. Chapter 3

The day that Jesse officially moved in with Benjamin Applebaum, he was given a key to their apartment, a key to Beca's apartment and one to Stacie's two blocks over. He hadn't worked out why, but the afternoon he came home to find Beca Mitchell sitting on their couch, her big headphones on her ears, he understood.

"Hello", Jesse said carefully, so he didn't scare her (he'd snuck up on his ex-girlfriend to surprise her and she'd jumped so high and hard that she'd actually caused his nose to bleed).

Benji had mentioned that she let herself in. he also mentioned that they were to let themselves into Beca's apartment if the occasion ever arose; it was a thing they had going. So he wasn't entirely surprised to find here there.

"Fat Amy's got a sock on the doorknob again", she complained. "Sorry, Benji always lets me over here. I should have cleared it with you first, sorry".

Jesse nodded, taking a seat beside her on the couch. "Are you alright? You look like you're in a bad mood".

"I am. You know why? I was meant to go to my father's house for Thanksgiving. I hate it, but you know why I was going there? Because if I didn't, my stepsister was coming here. And she was bringing my father and her mother. Anyway, I got a call this morning to inform me that my father and stepmonster were going to Canada for Thanksgiving, what? And she was coming here anyway. That's not fair. I don't even like her". She sighed heavily. "Do you want a coffee? I'm going to take out my anger on a pumpkin scone".

"Sure", Jesse said, standing up and holding out his hand to help her up.

Bantering playfully, the two of them made the short stroll down the street to the Insomnia Café, to find Benji already there, leaning against the counter.

"I was just about to call you", he said to Beca, and Stacie leant over the counter.

"Hey guys!" she said brightly. "Where the hell is Fat Amy? There's only three of you".

"At home".

"Again? She's worse than you, Stace".

"False information". Stacie shook her head, before focusing on the television in the corner. "Donald! Did you change the channel again?"

"No one wants to watch the E Network!" Donald's voice floated towards them from the back of the shop. "Becs, fresh pumpkin scones. Want one?"

"Yes". Beca nodded eagerly and he came out with two on a plate. "The usual Stacie, can you please actually work? Why do I pay you?"

"Because you love me!" and Stacie batted her eyelashes at Donald, making him roll his eyes.

"Coffee Stace".

"Yes sir". And she saluted him, before sending Beca, Jesse and Benji towards their usual booth. "Hey, have you got Thanksgiving sorted? Are you home or do we all have to make new plans?"

"Is Thanksgiving at Beca's a thing?"

"Oh totes", Stacie nodded. "We do Thanksgiving and Christmas at Beca's and Halloween at your place".

They were like a family. A mishmashed, unconventional family that sourced each other in times of need. Or, as they'd experienced three nights earlier, when Beca and Fat Amy ran out of corn chips. They celebrated the holidays together and cheered on achievements, crying together when things went wrong ("Benji does the crying", Beca had said cheerily, and the boy in question had scowled. "No one asked you Broadway". Their friendship made Jesse and Stacie laugh).

"On that note, one of you has to get a turkey", Beca waved her finger around. "We aren't repeating last year's fiasco".

"Last year it was Donald's job to get the turkey- he literally had one job- and he didn't do it", Stacie reported, glancing down at her nails. "I've got to repaint them- Becs, quick. Cotton candy pink or cherry red?"

Beca frowned slightly, glancing at her own chipped black nail polish (before balling her hands into fists because if she wasn't careful, Stacie would pull out her manicure kit then and there). "Cotton candy pink is too pink. I thought we agreed that no one liked that colour?"

"We agreed that you didn't like that colour, and Thomas liked it".

"You dumped Thomas after three days".

"Thomas liked that colour".

"Go red", Benji said (because Stacie had often barged in wanting to know what colour she should do her nails, and he figured that his opinion was just as good as Beca's).

"Stacie Conrad!" Donald's voice broke into the conversation from across the café, making the older man at the counter chuckle (as a regular, he was used to the banter between the owner and his employee). "Am I paying you to gossip or am I paying you to work?" he sighed heavily. He loved Stacie, she was his favourite employee and one of his best friends, but he wondered why he kept her working there.

"Okay", she called, waving a hand towards him.

But half an hour passed, and she had taken a seat beside Jesse, looking too comfortable to move. And when Fat Amy breezed in ("you smell of sex", Stacie told her bluntly, and Beca frowned. "Gross"), he decided to join them.

Conversation jumped from the newest Marvel film that both Benji and Jesse believed they should see (while Beca stood her ground and firmly said she wasn't going) to the Thanksgiving secret Santa tradition ("Benji's the worst to buy for", Fat Amy announced) to the group vacation they'd been planning since the beginning of the year that hadn't taken place (two wanted Florida and two wanted Las Vegas. Benji was still undecided because there were benefits to both locations and Jesse had yet to vote), and of course to Beca's biggest dilemma of the moment ("Luke is still a douche and the girls said they'd coming for Thanksgiving. Someone come down with a threatening illness so we can avoid that fiasco". "No. we are not going through this again").

For the usuals in the café, it was a sight they were used to. A short brunette with a busty, leggy brunette draped over her. A man with a cape and an Indian man with great hair. A larger than life Australian with a voice that could probably be heard back in Tasmania. And now a sixth member of their group- their ensemble- the nerd with sparkling eyes and a passion for movies. All crammed into the booth at the back of Insomnia Café, discussing sex, love, relationships and careers, because they were at the time of their lives where everything was possible, which excited and terrified them.

The usuals of the café never saw one without the other, and often they'd find all six. Their stories and their laughter echoed throughout the small space, joining the smell of coffee and fresh pumpkin scones (devoured by the trayful by the smallest brunette at the table).

And the usuals knew they got treated differently, but they didn't mind. Because every place had a group like that, and for Insomnia Café, that was their group.


End file.
